Korea-EU Global Data Cooperation Forum Held

Ministry of Science and ICT & NIA to Hold Forum in Seoul on 15th
Supporting Korea-EU Data Cooperation and Korean Companies' Entry into EU Market

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) of Korea announced on the 15th that they held the 'Korea-EU Global Data Cooperation Forum' at Post Tower in Seoul. This event was organized to strengthen data cooperation between Korea and the European Union (EU) and to support Korean data companies' entry into the EU market.

The Ministry of Science and ICT decided to collaborate with the EU Gaia-X headquarters to enhance the capabilities of Korea's data ecosystem. Gaia-X is an international non-profit association established to promote data sharing and interoperability within the EU, playing a significant role in the EU data strategy. It aims to revitalize the data economy by strengthening interoperability between cloud and data infrastructures.

The day before, the government confirmed its commitment to creating industrial achievements through mutual data cooperation during a meeting with Markus Hess, Director of Industrial Policy and Future Mobility at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). BMWK is responsible for Germany's economic, energy, and industrial policies as well as digital economy and innovation, leading the Gaia-X and Data Spaces projects.

At the forum held that day, the data policy directions of Korea and the EU were shared, and cooperation measures were discussed. In the keynote speech, Ulrich Alle, CEO of Gaia-X, explained the activities of Gaia-X.

Kim Su-jeong, Director of Data Promotion at the Ministry of Science and ICT, introduced Korea's data policies and plans for building data ecosystems by sector. Hwang Jong-seong, President of NIA, presented the progress of the 'National Data Infrastructure' construction project. In the subsequent panel discussion, cooperation across ICT fields such as AI, data, and cloud between Korea and the EU was discussed, along with international data norms and standardization.

Taking this event as an opportunity, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the EU agreed to establish the Korea-EU Global Data Cooperation Center (tentative name, Gaia-X Korea Hub) to participate in the creation of global data norms and support Korean data companies' entry into the EU market.

Immediately after the forum, the launch ceremony of the 'National Data Alliance' was held. Ministries promoting data ecosystems by sector?including the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and Ministry of Education?along with industry, academia, and research sectors participated to discuss data interoperability and linkage plans for sector-specific data platforms.

Song Sang-hoon, Director General of the Information and Communications Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "Through cooperation between Korea and the EU, related ministries will unite and do their best to support domestic data companies so that they can actively operate in the European market."

Ulrich Alle, CEO of EU Gaia-X, said, "Today's event is an important milestone in data cooperation between Korea and the EU. Close cooperation with Korea's data ecosystem will make a significant contribution to the development of the global data economy."